Solderless connector



Oct. 3, 1939. H. E. s1PE 2,175,036

SOLDERLESS CONNECTOR Filed April 16, 1E3? 2 Sheets-Sheet l W INVENTOR Harry Sz'pe BY Aw Oct. 3, 1939.

H. E. 51p: 2,175,036

SOLDERLES S CONNECTOR Filed April 16, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 .H" QM N gin: -121.

INVENTOR Harry E. Sipe BY M Mix/1 ATTORNEYS Patented Oct. 3, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SOLDERLESS CONNECTOR 7 Harry E. Sipe, New York, N. Y.

Application April 16, 1937, Serial No. 137,156 7 12 Claims.

This invention relates to solderless electrical connectors.

It is an object of this invention to devise a solderless electrical connector which will be of extreme simplicity and ease of attaching, and which will aiford apositive and lasting electric connection with electric leads.

Further objects are to utilize the flow characteristics of a soft metal together with the restraining and directing influence of a less soft metal; to provide a device for 'easy attachment of a wire end'to an intermediate point in a continuous wire; to provide devices for such attachment with the wire end either parallel or perpendicular to the continuous wire; and to provide means for gripping and steadying the insulationcovered part of the wire while forming a tight contact grip on the bare part of the wire.

Further objects will appear during the course of the detailed description'with reference to the drawingsfin which- Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a first form of my device;

Fig. 2 is an end view thereof;

Fig, 3 is a top view thereof; I Fig. 4 is a side elevation showing the connector after it has been pressed together on the wire;

' Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the connector, taken on the line 5--5 of Fig. 3, the wire being shown in elevation;

Figs. 6-10 illustrate a second form of my device,

Fig. 6 being a plan view of the blanked encasing stri Fig. 7 being a section on the line |-1 of Fig. 8;

Fig. 8 an end elevation;

Fig. 9 a section on the line 9-4 of Fig. 8, the wires being shown in elevation; and

Fig. 10 a plan view of the intermediate or encased strip;

20 which is formed into acoil portion 22 and a a tail portion 24. A readily permanently deformable metal is' used, such as brass, copper, aluminum, or the like. It will be understood in connection with all the forms that generally the metal used will be somewhat softer than the wire which it is to be used with, and that heavy and strong enough stock will be used to give a sufficiently strong, solid connection for the size wire with which the particular connector is designed to be used. Moreover, the section of the strip metal used will be large enough to provide less resistance to current flow than the wire itself.

The tail portion 24 is provided with a hole 26 for attachment, as to a threaded pole by means I of a nut.

The coil portion is provided with coaxial holes 28, preferably diametrically opposite each other and aligned parallel to the tail portion 24. The inner end of the coil portion 22 is bent or doubled back as at 30, terminating at or Just short of the line between the near edges of the holes 28.

An illustrative manner of forming this connector is to coil a strip of metal about a core provided with a radial slot which extends clear to the end thereof, first inserting one end of the strip in such slot whereby the strip is prevented from slipping about the core and the bent back portion 30 is formed.

A hole is then drilled diametrically through the coil and core, after which the coil is slipped off and straightened out to original strip form. This serves as a master for making up the blanking dies.

The holes 28 are punched straight through the strip, with the result that when the strip is coiled up the holes assume a slightly conical shape, being smaller at their inner faces, as shown in Fig. 5 in somewhat exaggerated form for clarity of illustration.

The connectors are made in various sizes to take different sizes-of wire. In use, a wire 32 just smaller than the holes 28 is threaded through the entire set of holes (four in the form illustrated) and then the connector is pressed together top and bottom, as with a pair of pliers or, for a large size, squeezed in a vise or hammered together.

The coil 22 is thus flattened and elongated along the wire, the bent over end 30 folding over flat and by its extra thickness giving extra contact pressure in the center where the pressure would tend to be least. The holes 28 close in on the top and bottom of the wire and press against its because the bending tends to draw their top and bottom sides together. The inwardly angled edges of the holes and the elongation of the coil assist the metal of the coil around the holes to be abraded by the wire and secure an. intimate contact. The fact that the device forms at least its till

one complete convolution enhances its gripping power when flattened out on the wire.

In Figs. 6-10 I have shown a modified form designed especially for connecting the end of one wire to an intermediate point in the length of a second wire.

A piece it of readily permanently deformable sheet metal, such as copper, brass or aluminum, is blanked out in the form shown in Fig. 6.

A. piece til of relatively soft readily permanently deformable metal, such as lead, is blanked out in the form shown in Fig. lb.

Slots ii, .12, ilii, M and G are formed along an edge of member to, and corresponding holes Gt, til, it, Q9 and at are formed within the member opposite the said slots.

In member til are formed slots fill and and notch 53 along one edge, and corresponding holes lit and 6?! and notch 68 between the edges, the notches t3 and being at the end.

The halves til, 52 of member Eli are folded over on the line 53 and the member interposed between the halves of member wand the whole then rolled up to the form shown in Fig. 7, forming a convolution with the inner end bent or doubled back and ending at or just short of the center line. The slots, holes and notches of the members Ml and til are so placed that in the final rolled up form all the holes in the two members, and the notch are coaxial and aligned preferably along a diameter of the spiral, and all the slots in the two members, and the notch 63, are likewise coaxial and aligned preferably along a parallel line.

This convolute or spiral form connector is the finished device and ready for use. It will be understood that various sizes will be made up for use with various size wires, and in each instance a connector will be chosen with holes and/or slots in which the wire can be just inserted readily.

In use, a bare wire end lll is inserted through the aligned holes and notch db, El, 38, it, 5%, Eli, El and 66, and the aligned slots and notch M, 2, 43, 44, d5, 6!, 62 and 63 are slipped over a bare intermediate portion of wire it. The top and bottom of the connector as seen in Figs. 7 and 8 are then pressed together, as by squeezing with a pair of pliers, or, in the case of a large size connector, hammering or squeezing in a vice or clamp.

When the connector is squeezed together on the wires the top and bottom edges of the holes and slots are pinched together, abrading the edges of theholes and tightly gripping the wires at both ends of the connector while having also a fair, though not so intimate, contact therebetween.

Of particular importance in this form is the fact that under the pressure of the squeezing the inner layer of lead or other soft metal is caused to flow. To a certain extent it will tend to flow out at the open side edges, but the frictional resistance involved is greater than at the holes and notches, which are nearer the center, so the greatest flowing tendency will be at the holes and notches, which are immediately at the wire. As a result the soft metal of the inner layer will be forced tight and close around the wire at the diametrically opposite sets of holes and of slots, and also intermediate notches. This gives a particularly intimate and solidly secured contact.

In Figs. 1l-14 I have illustrated a third form of my invention, in which a strip til of readily permanently deformable metal, such as brass, copper or aluminum, is formed with three central holes 8 l, 82 and a larger hole M spaced farther from the hole than the distance between holes it and 82 or and and four notches 85, 86, iii and As seen in Fig. 12, the extreme left-hand end 89 of this strip is bent or doubled sharply back, and the rest of the portion having the three similar holes is rolled up into a coil 90. Between holes 83 and t the strip extends out away from the coil for a short distance forming a loop portion, as indicated at til, and then is bent back in a half circle 92, and portion Q3, parallel to portion 9i, returns tangent to the coil portion and extends on therebeyond.

The right-hand half of the strip is coiled over in the opposite direction to form a coil 96, and the extreme end til is bent or doubled in as seen in Fig. 12.

It will be noted that the holes til, 82 and 83 and the notches 85, Si and 8d are spaced successively further apart in from the ends of the strip. The spacing of these holes and notches and the thickness of the strip metal are so proportioned as to bring the holes into coaxial alignment, preferably diametrically, and likewise the notches. The larger hole 86 is also preferably aligned with the holes Bl, 82 and 83.

The device as thus formed is bent through 180 on a diagonal line 98, after which the notched side of the coil 96 can be slipped onto a bared section of the continuous wire 99, and the bared end of wire lllli can be introduced into holes 8|, t2 and 83, while the insulation-covered portion Mil thereof fits within hole 83.

With this form the two wires can be connected at right angles, or practically any other desired angle, and moreover the connector can be pressed down to attach it solidly to one of the wires before it is placed on the other wire. The connection is formed by pressing or squeezing the connector together as in the other forms shown, and similarly grips the wire snugly and securely, with enough abrading action as the clamping is being done to assure intimate and eificient contact.

In this form the portion 92, with its larger hole 84, steadies the wire on the insulated part, and this somewhat resilient steadying extension minimizes the likelihood of sharp bending of the wire and breaking off at the point where it enters the coil. The resiliency of the central portion of the strip connecting the two coils also assists in this regard.

While I have shown and described certain preferred embodiments of my invention, it will be apparent that many modifications and variations thereof may be employed, and also that various of the features of invention may be employed either singly or in different combinations. I therefore do not wish my invention to be understood as confined to the illustrative forms shown,

for the reception of a wire, said strip joining said apertures at one side and at the other side the projecting portions of said strip being doubled back toward each other and lapping over each other, the lapping ends being spaced away from the intermediate portion of the strip,-

whereby the said. projecting portions of 'said strip may be flattened down toward the intermediate portion of said strip, clamping the wire at the apertures, and said strip being formed of readily permanently deformable metal whereby it retains its flattened shape and retains a permanent solid grip on the wire.

3. .An electric connector comprising a piece of strip metal coiled to form at least one complete convolution and having coaxial diametrically opposed holes therein for the reception of a wire, said strip having less cross-sectional area where the holes are formed than intermediately, whereby after the insertion of the wire the coil may be flattened down on itself, clamping the wire at the apertures which are constricted when the strip bends at the apertures upon the flattening of the coil, said strip being formed or readily permanently deformable metal whereby it retains its flattened shape.

4. An electric connector comprising apiece or coiled strip metal having coaxial apertures in diametrically opposite sides of-the coil for the reception of a wire, the inner end of said coiled strip being doubled back towardthe center of the coil, ending short of the axis of the apertures, and slanting back at more than a right angle to the axis of the apertures, whereby after the insertion of a wire said coil may he flattened upon the wire, clamping the wire at the aperturesand pressing the wire between its intermediate portions, said intermediate pressure being heightened by the doubled back end portion,

volutions.

6. An electric connector comprising a piece of coiled readily permanently deformable strip metal coiled. into a complete convolution having or metal providing a clamping contact means diametrically aligned holes therethrough and having diametrically aligned edge slots therethrough at an axial end of the convolute.

7. Device of claim 6 in which the alignments of the holes and slots are parallel.

8. An electric connector comprising a piece of coiled readily permanently deformable strip metal coiled into a complete convolution having diametrically oppositealigned edge slots at an axial end of the convolute to engage, and when the coil is flattened, clamp a wire.

9. An electric connector comprising a strip of relatively hard readily permanently deformable metal bent back at the center to form inner and outer strips, and a strip of relatively soft readily v permanently deformable metal enclosed therebetween, the composite strip being rolled up into a coil, and apertures in said inner and outer strips and the intermediate softer strip, said apertures being positioned so that after the coil is formed they are all in coaxial alignment for the reception of a wire.

It). An electric connector comprising a strip or readily permanently deformable strip metal coiled around at one end and having diametri cally aligned apertures therethrough, and coiled to the opposite side at the other end,' this second coil also having diametrically aligned apertures therethrough, the strip metal between the two coils lceing bent through 139 on a diagonal line, "whereby to provide an integral" connector i'or wires meeting at an angle.

ll. An electric. connector comprising a strip of readily permanently deformable metal rolled up into a coil at one end, the strip extending out tangent from the one side of the coil for a short distance and returning tangent to the opposite side thereof, forming a loop, an aperture in the spaced loop portion of the strip, and smaller apertures in the coil aligned with the loop in aperture, whereby the insulation covered portion of a wire may be held and steadied by the larger aperture and the bare wire may be gripped by the coil when pressed together.

12. An electric connector comprising a stri" one end thereof, a loop portion extending from said end and back past the same, an aper-= ture in said loop portion to hold and steady Wire, said strip continuing through a diag ,7

onal bend and providing a clamping contact means at its other end.

HARRY SIPE. 

